If you’ve chosen to start wearing hearing aids, your hearing aid fitting is the most crucial appointment you’ll attend with your audiologist. This is an incredibly exciting time when you get to experience the positive differences hearing aids can make for the first time, but it may also be a little daunting. If you’ve got a fitting approaching, it’s natural to have lots of questions, and your audiologist will be there to give you advice and ensure that you’re ready to take your hearing aids home and start enjoying life with better hearing. Here are some of the most important questions to ask at your hearing aid fitting.

How often should I wear my hearing aids?

If you’ve never had hearing aids before, it’s wise to ask your audiologist how long you should wear your hearing aids for each day. Many people wear hearing aids for prolonged periods of time throughout the day, but for the first couple of weeks, your audiologist may advise you to adopt a schedule. This will involve gradually increasing the length of time day by day, giving your brain the chance to adapt and adjust. Once you’re used to wearing your hearing aids, you should use them as and when you need them during the day, and then keep them in a safe place at night while you sleep.

What should I expect?

If you’re new to hearing aids, you may be wondering just what to expect when your audiologist places the devices inside your ears for the first time. You should notice a difference straight away, but the sound may not be perfect immediately, and it may take you a few days to get used to your hearing aids. Your audiologist will adjust and modify the settings and programs for you to ensure that you get the best out of your hearing aids.

How do I look after my hearing aids?

When you head home after your hearing aid fitting, you’ll need to start looking after your hearing aids. This involves regular cleaning, changing the batteries and ensuring you store the devices in a safe place while you wash or sleep. Your audiologist will demonstrate how to clean your hearing aids and how to replace old batteries, and they can also give you tips to keep them in tip-top condition.

Can I adjust the settings?

Every individual is different, and your audiologist will take the time to program your hearing aids to suit you during your hearing aid fitting. Once your hearing aids have been fitted, your audiologist will experiment with the programs to find the best settings for you, and they will also show you how to program the hearing aids so that you can adapt to different sounds and environments.

If you’ve got a hearing aid fitting coming up, it’s perfectly natural to have questions. If you do have queries, don’t hesitate to ask your audiologist. They are there to help you enjoy your new hearing aids and adjust to life with improved hearing.